Working mums in Staffordshire are enjoying some of the best support in England, according to a new survey analysing more than 80 towns and cities across the country.
Newcastle-under-Lyme ranked third overall for working mums in 2025, while Stafford claimed first place in the survey’s ‘Cost-Comfort Hotspots’ category for budget-conscious families.
The survey, conducted by CoworkingCafe, looked at four key areas – work, education, health and environment, and affordability – using 15 metrics including women’s employment, income, childcare availability, school access, healthcare and housing costs. Data came from official statistics from ONS, the Department for Education, NHS England, Ofsted and other government sources.
Newcastle scored well in the survey for its balance of career and family life. Childcare is among the cheapest in England at £5 per hour, while families benefit from easy access to green spaces and private gardens. Schools are plentiful, with 36.1 per 10,000 children, and childcare places are reasonably available. Women’s average working week is 29.3 hours, helping parents fit work around family life, while rent and house prices remain manageable.
A spokesperson for CoworkingCafe said: “Newcastle-under-Lyme stands out for its affordability and green surroundings. Specifically, childcare costs just £5 per hour – the country’s second-lowest and well beneath the national average – making life gentler on the purse strings.
“Furthermore, around 7.4 green spaces within a kilometre offer more than plenty of space to breathe and roam, which is especially precious in family life. Combined with tight-knit school access and the steady economic anchor of Keele University, it’s a mix that welcomes mums who value an active lifestyle while efficiently balancing their cheques.”
Meanwhile, Stafford excelled for affordability. The town ranked first for what the survey called Cost-Comfort Hotspots, with rent taking just 22.6 per cent of family income and a house price-to-income ratio of 6. Childcare fees are also low, at £5 per hour, and employment opportunities and wages support families’ budgets, with women earning a median £36,284 a year.
The spokesperson added: “Stafford takes the lead by blending a respectable women’s median income of just more than £36,000 with some of the most affordable childcare in the country at £5 per hour.
“Housing is also comparatively gentle on family budgets: rents eat up only 22.6 per cent of personal income, which is far below the national average of 42 per cent. For parents looking to keep work in balance with family life, that gap makes a world of difference.”
